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The Act on Hulu

Release date: 2019
Setting: Springfield, Missouri in 2008
Genre: biographical crime drama

The Act on Hulu synopsis

I started watching The Act on YouTube and when they didn’t have all the episodes I signed up for Hulu. It was that good. The Act retold the true story of Dee Dee, a mother who was so overprotective that it was dangerous, and Gypsy Rose, the daughter who suffocated under her mother’s “love.” Dee Dee confined Gypsy to a wheelchair, made her eat through a feeding tube and told everyone that she had the mind of a seven year old. Her every move was monitored, lest she ingest a bit of sugar at a party. “She’s highly allergic!” Dee Dee screamed when she tried to sneak a bite of a cupcake, and she called an ambulance.

Sure, Gypsy attempted to run away. But these efforts were squashed before she could even exhale. She was trapped in that wheelchair, back to square one every time. So she decided to take matters further, with help from her from her secret online boyfriend.

The acting

All the acting was amazing, with glowing performances from Joey King and Patricia Arquette. Their distinct voices added another layer. Gypsy’s was sugary and child-like, a manifestation of the way she had to sweetly comply with her mother’s demands at all times, while Dee Dee’s was reminiscent of a very primitive state of her own. See the trailer on YouTube here.

The act on hulu

The Act on Hulu’s messages

The twisted yet somehow *somewhat* loving relationship between the two could be a plot of its own, and come to think of it reminds me of something out of The Bates Motel on Netflix. It’s a story of what happens when one closes in on another’s boundaries so far that the only way the other can differentiate herself is to kill.

In real life *spoilers ahead*

In real life massive questions are still left up in the air: Whose fault was it? Did Nicholas deserve his life sentence? How can situations like these be prevented in the future? These questions remind me of the questions brought out by the show The Girl from Plainville (see the trailer), also a true story, also on Hulu. See my list of shows based on true stories here.

Gypsy was recently released from prison, and is enjoying her new life. Though she said being in prison was complete freedom compared to what she went through. Life After Lockup, Gypsy’s new reality show, is set to air on Lifetime June 3rd. Now is the perfect time to watch or rewatch The Act on Hulu and get caught up. 

My rating: 9/10

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